A video showing Huntsville police aggressively detaining
a man outside a church Sunday was posted to YouTube the same day of the
incident and was labeled "Police Brutality."

The initial encounter that led to the arrest was not
shown in the video, but officials at First Baptist Church issued a statement
Monday saying they welcomed the man and his two companions inside and never
asked them to leave the property.

In a response to follow-up questions from AL.com's
Tiffany Donaldson, police say they were contacted by someone at the church who
wanted the men's suspicious behavior questioned.

According to police, one of the men, Joshua Ude, became
uncooperative when approached by officers. He refused to leave the premises and
was subsequently arrested.

What's clear from the video, which was apparently shot on a cell phone by one of Ude's companions, is that the gentleman being
arrested was not being cooperative, leading to the more aggressive nature of
the arrest.

Here's our concern: The measured and carefully worded
statements from police and church officials demonstrated an unhealthy concern
for how the public might respond to how they handled their encounter with Ude
and his companions.

By all accounts, the church did everything right. They
welcomed the visitors in, they continued services as usual, and they worshipped
alongside these men, even though the men exhibited some strange behavior,
including arriving midway through the sermon, walking to the very front pew and
apparently videotaping a portion of the service with a cell phone.

The point of the church's statement was to reinforce its
identity of being open, welcoming and loving toward any and all visitors. That
was clearly demonstrated.

But churches aren't the haven from violence that we like
to pretend they are. Even beyond welcoming visitors to the church, a shepherd's
job is to protect the sheep of the church. If an unknown person is behaving
strangely, there's nothing wrong with having police check them out to make sure
the congregation is safe.

The statement from police seemed focused on pointing out
that the off-duty officers serving as security at the church didn't initiate
the confrontation with Ude and his companions. But there's nothing wrong with
officers confronting unfamiliar people who are acting strangely. That's why you
are there.

We're thankful for the church showing love toward
strangers. That's the heart of Christianity. We're thankful for police bravely
serving as the blue line between law-abiding citizens and criminals, and for
their openness in how this case is being handled.

But, when they're doing what they're supposed to do,
church officials nor police should be made to feel handcuffed in fulfilling
their duty to protect those they serve.

Written by Community News Director Anthony Cook for the AL.com editorial board.